Feeding my fish

[Greengirl]

Hi Everyone, I am trying to get my angel pair to breed and I know that high-protein beef heart is good for getting them in the mood. The problem is the female doesn't seem to like it. They normally eat flakes, dried bloodworms, dried brine shrimp, and frozen-fresh bloodworms. What is the best way to get the fish to eat what I want them too? I want them to get big and strong on beef heart. Any advice and experiences grately appreciated.

 

[verbal]

Forget the beef heart and increase the bloodworms. Also water changes are at least as important as diet. If you get an RCS(Red Cherry Shrimp) colony going, those can also be a good live food source.

 

[Greengirl]

Forget the beef heart and increase the bloodworms. Also water changes are at least as important as diet. If you get an RCS(Red Cherry Shrimp) colony going, those can also be a good live food source.

I understand the frequent water changes are important, but how thorough must the change be? When I do a water change, I have to remove most of my decor to get the crud that builds up in the gravel. This is very time consuming, as anyone knows. I do it once every three-four weeks. If I want to do it more frequently, does just changing the top 50% of water do the trick?

Are only bloodworms good enough to get my angels in the mood? All reading material says brine shrimp and cow heart are best.

 

[Avatar]

Forget the "crud"

Beyond any aesthetic issues, it's most "spent" of any potential to harm the fish as the bacteria will have metabolized/broken down anything that might harm your fish - just think of it as dirt and understand that it's a a neutral/non-factor with respect to health and spawning so long as you keep up on water changes. Agree that you should forget the beefheart unless you want to order it as flakes (if so google Ken's Fish). Blood worms are the bomb - have three pair of angelfish that regularly spawn on them (and Ken's cichlid flake with occasional frozen brine shrimp/dried bloodworms) - do not believe their diet is a/the problem.

You can do weekly 50% water change and not touch anything else but you might offer them different options for spawning sites - mine use old roofing slate, some seem to like big Anubias leaves, but nearly any mostly vertical surface will work if they're in the mood including the side of the tank. Just know that getting them to spawn isn't the hard part - that comes with keeping the parents from recycling the eggs and fry no matter how well they're fed which is why going forward I'm just going to start pulling eggs.

 

[mchambers]

I agree with Jesse and Sam. I'd drop the beefheart and not worry about the crud.

 

[verbal]

I can bring a couple pieces of the roofing slate to Aquamania if you want to give them a try for a spawning site.

If you do weekly 33% to 50% water changes(just the water), they should spawn within a couple months.

Is this a proven pair?

 

[jonclark96]

All good advice above. Definitely up the water changes and they'll be spawning in no time.

 

[Becca]

We used to use slate at Roraima, too. It worked well. We'd transfer the slate to big mason jars with an airstone or two in them and put, I think (it was so long ago) a drop or two of copper solution in each jar to prevent fungal growth. The fry got baby brine and as soon as they dropped off the slate we'd put them in a 20-long with a bio sponge.

I had angels and rams breed in my old home tank without any encouragement (the rams literally the day I brought them home) I think I did 30% a week on that tank and it was loaded with live plants and driftwood with bags of peat to soften the water.

I remember a few of our angel pairs were good parents, but others would eat the eggs as soon as they laid them. We had one male that liked to eat the eggs as teh female was laying them... he got sold !

 

[Greengirl]

I can bring a couple pieces of the roofing slate to Aquamania if you want to give them a try for a spawning site.

If you do weekly 33% to 50% water changes(just the water), they should spawn within a couple months.

Is this a proven pair?

I have a piece of slate in there. It is in a more open space of tank with little decor for easy access. But maybe I need more, so I would be happy to accept your roofing slate.

These angels are a proven pair. They just have not spawned since I got them one month ago. I guess I should be more patient, but the time since I had them seemed a lot longer. I will increase the fresh-frozen bloodworms and do weekly partial water changes. Thanks for all the great advice. Maybe I will return my unopened beef hearts.

 

[Greengirl]

We used to use slate at Roraima, too. It worked well. We'd transfer the slate to big mason jars with an airstone or two in them and put, I think (it was so long ago) a drop or two of copper solution in each jar to prevent fungal growth. The fry got baby brine and as soon as they dropped off the slate we'd put them in a 20-long with a bio sponge.

I had angels and rams breed in my old home tank without any encouragement (the rams literally the day I brought them home) I think I did 30% a week on that tank and it was loaded with live plants and driftwood with bags of peat to soften the water.

I remember a few of our angel pairs were good parents, but others would eat the eggs as soon as they laid them. We had one male that liked to eat the eggs as teh female was laying them... he got sold !

My pair were first time parents before I got them. So I don't think any of the eggs made it. But once they eggs are layed I will probably just set up a divider in the tank depending on where they are. Is that ok? And once the eggs turn into wrigglers, how do I feed babies that tiny?

 

[Becca]

You could get frozen baby brine shrimp or hatch your own. Just watch that the divider isn't too close to the intake on your filter and that the babies aren't on the same side as the intake. You'll have to increase your water changes a bit with lots of babies in the tank.

If you can get them to lay on slate then you can move the slate to anywhere in the tank.

 

[Avatar]

Rites of Spring

I can bring a couple pieces of the roofing slate to Aquamania if you want to give them a try for a spawning site.

Uh-huh - mighty generous with your slate, neh?

Whatever filter you're using should have a pre-filter sponge on the intake - boosts beneficial bacterial/filtration, keeps fry and junk out of your filter, is easier to clean than the filter itself, and is a fabulous food source/grazing site for fry.

 

[Greengirl]

Uh-huh - mighty generous with your slate, neh?

Whatever filter you're using should have a pre-filter sponge on the intake - boosts beneficial bacterial/filtration, keeps fry and junk out of your filter, is easier to clean than the filter itself, and is a fabulous food source/grazing site for fry.

I have one of those whisper power filters fitted on the lip of my tank. Where would I stick this sponge? In the intake tube? Would that affect filter flow?

 

[verbal]

You stick it over the intake. There are a couple ways to go. One is a pre-filter kit(YourFishStuff.com) carries them. The other way is to cut a slit in an aquaclear(or Poret) sponge. The reduction is minimal if the pre-filter is not clogged.

 

[Greengirl]

You stick it over the intake. There are a couple ways to go. One is a pre-filter kit(YourFishStuff.com) carries them. The other way is to cut a slit in an aquaclear(or Poret) sponge. The reduction is minimal if the pre-filter is not clogged.

Thank you.

 

[jonclark96]

Just make sure to clean the pre-filter on a regular basis. They can get clogged up pretty quickly if you don't. Just swish it in a bucket of tank water with every water change.

 

[Greengirl]

Hi everyone, I need more advice. What does it mean when my female angel decides she doesn't like live blackworms any more? She usually devours them up. Is this a breeding thing or is she sick? She has no outward physical signs of illness, but she has been staring at the slate in the tank. Occasionally the male will stare with her but they have not done anything but look, no cleaning or grooming. Here is what she looks like.

 

[Greengirl]

Oh My Gosh!! They are breeding!! Both are grooming the slate! Finally! I am so happy! I thought they were past their prime!!!!!! Can I feed the free swimmers crushed flakes?

 

[mscichlid]

Baby brine shrimp. Live or frozen.

 

[Greengirl]

Baby brine shrimp. Live or frozen.

And those are the very best? If I couldn't get brine shrimp right away would crushed flakes work? I'm leaving for four days and I am having my friend check on them for me and she won't know where to get brine shrimp.